ImClone drug gets approval

Posted: Friday, February 13, 2004

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Erbitux, the drug at the center of the stock-trading scandal that brought Martha Stewart to trial, won government approval Thursday as a last-ditch treatment for advanced colorectal cancer.

Doctors believe 20,000 patients a year may benefit from ImClone manufactured Erbitux, which jams chemical signals that spur tumor growth.

But they caution that Erbitux is not a miracle drug. Patients have clamored for the drug since its roller-coaster attempts at Food and Drug Administration approval began in 2001.

The FDA cautioned that studies have not shown whether Erbitux can help patients live longer.

But it can shrink some tumors and delay their growth, especially when Erbitux is used in combination with a common chemotherapy.

Meanwhile in New York, prosecutors say they expect to rest their case against Martha Stewart and her former broker next week, and jurors are likely to begin deliberations in the stock-fraud trial in March.

Lead prosecutor Karen Patton Seymour told the judge the government would finish presenting its witnesses before Feb. 20. She said she expected to have a more precise estimate Friday.

Stewart lawyer Robert Morvillo said he expected Stewart's defense to take up to three weeks - if witnesses are called at all.